Outpatient care drives increase in health care jobs

By Paul Schott

Published
12:00 am EDT, Saturday, August 19, 2017

Physical therapist Lauren Donovan, left, works with patient John Kimball at the Greenwich Hospital/Yale New Haven Health System facility, an outpatient center, at the Long Ridge Medical Center in Stamford, Conn., on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017. less

Physical therapist Lauren Donovan, left, works with patient John Kimball at the Greenwich Hospital/Yale New Haven Health System facility, an outpatient center, at the Long Ridge Medical Center in Stamford, ... more

Physical therapist Lauren Donovan, left, works with patient John Kimball at the Greenwich Hospital/Yale New Haven Health System facility, an outpatient center, at the Long Ridge Medical Center in Stamford, Conn., on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017. less

Physical therapist Lauren Donovan, left, works with patient John Kimball at the Greenwich Hospital/Yale New Haven Health System facility, an outpatient center, at the Long Ridge Medical Center in Stamford, ... more

The field added more than 1,000 positions last year, one of the largest jumps during that period among the state’s economic sectors, according to the state Labor Department’s latest Economic Digest. A need to staff growing outpatient operations is driving the growth, which health care executives said they expect to continue as their organizations serve rising numbers of patients outside hospitals.

“We have added positions to prepare for and support the growth of our practice,” said Sally Frank, chief operating officer of Orthopaedic and Neurosurgery Specialists, which has offices in Greenwich and Stamford.

Demand for outpatient care

Hiring has been particularly brisk in the southwestern corner of the state. Western Connecticut Health Network — which runs Norwalk, Danbury and New Milford hospitals — has brought in some 1,400 people for new and existing positions since October. The new hires have included primary care physicians, physician assistants, nurses and supporting clinical and administrative staff including home care, coders and patient financial analysts.

Western Connecticut Health Network now employs about 6,000.

In Fairfield County and other parts of the state, the job creation has concentrated in outpatient services. Health care organizations throughout the state last year added about 1,100 outpatient posts, an increase of 1.3 percent. Employment in hospitals and nursing-residential facilities was basically flat.

Throughout the state, health care providers are expanding their outpatient ranks to support new facilities.

On adjacent lots on Long Ridge Road, the Stamford Health and Yale New Haven Health systems have both opened outpatient centers during the past two years.

More than 90 employees staff the Stamford Health complex. The Yale New Haven Health center operates with 57 employees and another 18 doctors are based there part time.

Systemwide, Yale New Haven Health employs about 22,000, adding about 1,400 positions between 2015 and 2016.

“The trend is going to outpatient facilities,” said Melissa Turner, Yale New Haven Health’s vice president of talent acquisition. “And for some people, outpatient care provides an attractive work-life balance because they’re working more regular hours Monday through Friday.”

Officials at Stamford Health were not available for comment this week.

Among other recent outpatient additions, Stamford Health’s 97,000-square-foot Integrated Care Pavilion on the Stamford Hospital campus and Yale New Haven Health’s Women’s Cardiovascular Center on Valley Drive in Greenwich both opened last year.

Smaller health-care groups have also ramped up their hiring. ONS has added 35 jobs since the beginning of the year; 27 of those positions focused on physical therapy.

“There is an extra challenge with being a premier practice,” Frank said. “The people we hire have to perform at a superior level.”

Another independent health-care practice, Advanced Radiology, has also grown significantly to supporting its imaging centers. It now employs about 200, compared with some 170 about five years ago. It opened its seventh complex, in Wilton, earlier this year.

“This is patient driven,” Dr. Mary Cooper, senior vice president of clinical services at the Connecticut Hospital Association, said in an interview earlier this year. “All of us want the availability of high-quality care that’s convenient. None of us want to spend time away from families, jobs and other commitments by being an inpatient in the hospital.”

Health care wages ran close to the state’s overall 2016 average of about $70,000. Employees in outpatient care earned an average of about $67,000 last year, a 2 percent increase over the equivalent amount in 2015. Hospital staff received about $66,000 on average, a 1 percent gain over the previous year’s level.

More growth

Local health care executives expect hiring to maintain its current pace in the foreseeable future. Western Connectiut Health Network officials said they plan to add positions in the areas that have seen the most growth in the past year.

“We are investing in health and wellness, leading population-health management, adopting new technologies and system capabilities and advancing innovative research for optimal health outcomes for our communities,” said Cathy Frierson, WCHN’s senior vice president of human resources.

Advanced Radiology CEO Clark Yoder said he anticipates the contingent at the new Wilton center growing from about a half-dozen to 10 by the end of the year to accommodate expanded hours there.

ONS also plans to hire more staff. Following up the expansion earlier this year of its Stamford center, it is opening at the end of this month offices in Harrison, N.Y.